The present invention relates to a method, apparatus and computer program, for processing plural types of transactions using cards. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method, apparatus and computer program for processing a variety of transactions using one or a plurality of cards in an efficient manner by a transaction processor connected to plural institutions of different industries such as an insurance company, a bank, a credit card issuance company, a loan office and other financial institutions via a network.
A system for utilizing an automatic transaction processor such as an automatic teller machine (ATM) and performing a variety of transactions with a transactor is well know. Such a system is described on pages 57 to 71 of Financial Journal published in December, 1995 and is well known. This system is for utilizing a transaction card owned by a transactor such as a debit card issued by a bank via ATM to receive regular services of a bank such as withdrawal, deposit and transfer provided by ATM as other transactors.
A system for freely performing a variety of transactions among companies of different industries is also well known. Such a system is described in "Creating Electronic Commerce By The Internet" by T. Kimura, et al., Nikkei Multimedia, July, 1995, pp. 139-154. In this system, attribute/transaction information held in a common server is managed individually and a user can have access to transaction information freely.
Further, a system utilizing electronic money in payment is well known. Such a system described in "MODEX Will Expand the MONDEX System in Britain After Two Years" by Y. Ochi, Financial Journal, January, 1996. This system is for paying money by sending or receiving electronic money which is an electronic symbol of money and is stored in an IC chip embedded in a conventional plastic card.
The conventional method has the following problems:
If an insurance transaction such as loan and inquiry is performed utilizing an ATM operated by an insurance company, only one card issued by the insurance company is used for the transaction with the insurance company. However, if the contract of a new insurance via ATM in cooperation with a bank and a credit card issuance company, a loan based upon the contract of an insurance and a bank account and inquiry of an insurance, a bank account or a credit card are performed, transaction processing is required to be executed individually using a card for each transaction. Such processing is not very efficient.
Personal identification numbers are required for each card for every industry. If personal identification numbers for each card are different then each of these different personal identification numbers are required to be entered in order to perform a required processing. For the user such a requirement is inconvenient.
There is also a problem that the types and arrangement of transaction keys on the transaction screen of an ATM are fixed for all customers and transactions. Thus, an undesired transaction key is displayed in a main location of the screen and a transaction desired by a transactor cannot be necessarily performed efficiently.